How calm Arsenal dethroned Women s Champions League giants Barca

LISBON – Few gave Arsenal much chance of overthrowing Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final on May 24, but the Gunners insisted it was possible and proved it in Lisbon with a gargantuan performance.

Stina Blackstenius’ second-half strike on the counter-attack was just reward for Arsenal’s superb display at the Jose Avalade stadium as they kept their heads in sweltering heat to win 1-0.

Leah Williamson excelled at the back and veteran Kim Little and former Barca midfielder Mariona Caldentey in particular helped shut down the Catalans’ star-studded engine room, featuring two-time Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas.

“It was fairly calm (in the dressing room) and that was one of the key things when you get to these big games,” explained Little, who joined the club a year after Arsenal’s only previous triumph, in 2007.

“(Renee Sleger’s team talks were) task-focused, about what we were executing... small details on how we can stop them and some details around set pieces.

“I think that showed in our performance that how we approached the game was very controlled, with little pointers of the belief that we have and the courage we wanted to show.”

Slegers was in Arsenal’s youth academy as a player in 2007 when they won the competition – back then the Uefa Women’s Cup – and said she had spoken to some important figures from that team, including coach Vik Akers and his assistant Emma Hayes, now manager of the United States’ women’s team.

The selfless Dutch coach highlighted the impact of several figures who have been helping the Arsenal women’s team to grow over the past 18 years since they last won the trophy.

“I was at the club in 2007 so I have a little bit of an idea of where the club